Marysville Miss America hopeful needs your vote

Voting for Miss America is open, and you can help a Marysville native get one step closer to the crown.

Heather Kendrick, 23, was named Miss Michigan 2017 and is competing for Miss America 2018. Judges will choose the top 14 contestants after the preliminary competition days on Sept. 6, 7 and 8. The last spot in the top 15 will be chosen by America.

"It's a fun way for people to feel involved," Kendrick said, adding that voting is free and easy – just log on to missamerica.org/vote.

While she hopes the judges will push her to the final night's competition, getting the most votes would qualify her for the America's Choice contestant and guarantee her a spot in the finals.

Voting will be open until Sept. 5, and people can vote once per day.

The final night of the competition will be broadcast live on ABC at 9 p.m. on Sept. 10.

The competition is so much more than a beauty pageant, said Shelley Taylor, executive director of Miss Michigan.

"The program itself is extraordinary because we're all about scholarship," she said.

Miss America is the spokeswoman for The Miss America Organization, which is the biggest scholarship program for women in the world, Taylor said. It awards more than $50 million per year in scholarships, and contestants at the local, state and national levels participate in community service.

Just to compete in one of the 34 local pageants in Michigan, a contestant must raise $100 that goes toward scholarships and Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, which The Miss America Organization is partnered with. That amount jumps to $500 and $1,000 at the state and national levels, respectively.

Each competitor has a personal platform that, if chosen, she will champion in events all over the U.S. Kendrick said Miss America hits a different state every 48 hours and presents the history of the organization, the organization's goals and Miss America's personal platform.

Heather Kendrick, Miss Michigan 2017 and a contestant for Miss America 2018, is a violinist. Her platform is keeping the arts in education.(Photo: Dan Lippitt Photography)

Kendrick's platform is keeping the arts in education.

She is a violinist and majored in instrumental music education and organizational studies at the University of Michigan.

"The arts have been hugely influential in my life, and I do my platform every day," she said.

Her platform also advocates for STEM curriculum, which emphasizes the arts along with science, technology, engineering and math.

"The arts are such an integral part of the human experience," she said.

Judges interview competitors about their platforms and other experiences during the preliminary competition.

"It's important to them that Miss America has an opinion and that she is able to articulate that opinion," Kendrick said.

This interview plus the on-stage question, talent, evening wear and swimwear parts of the preliminary competition help the judges pick the top 14.

The scores from the preliminary round make up 25 percent of the top 15 competitors' final scores. The other 75 percent comes from the televised swimwear, evening wear, talent and final question portions. A winner is chosen during the televised final competition.

Miss Michigan 2017 Heather Kendrick is from Marysville. She will compete for Miss America 2018, and online voting could get her in the top 15.(Photo: Dan Lippett Photography)

While the swimsuit portion is a traditional part of the competition that started in 1921, it is only a small part of the competition, Taylor said. The swimwear judging only counts for 15 percent of the contestants' scores in the preliminary round and 10 percent on the final night. Likewise, evening wear contributes to 20 percent of the preliminary score and 15 percent of the final score.

The interview in the preliminary competition accounts for 25 percent of the score, while the final question that is televised is 20 percent of the final score. Talent is worth 35 percent of the preliminary score and 30 percent in the final.

"It's so much more than a pretty face, than a crown on your head," Taylor said.

Contact Grace Turner at (810) 989-6276 or gturner@gannett.com.Follow her on Twitter @gracempturner.